Although theories were running rampant through the village, their trust in the abbot of Jiangyuan Temple kept anyone from investigating.
But the day before yesterday, one of Jiang Xiaowen's childhood playmates came down with a strange illness and was sent to Jiangyuan Temple.
The two of them had arranged for Jiang Xiaowen to go visit him the next day.
To keep the adults at home from finding out, Jiang Xiaowen secretly ran to Jiangyuan Temple last night.
Instead, he saw the abbot, usually so kind-eyed and benevolent-looking, open his bloody maw, hoist his playmate up, and bite him in half at the waist.
The abbot, drenched in blood and mangled entrails, terrified Jiang Xiaowen. He ran all the way back to the village, only to discover countless wolf-headed, human-bodied monsters roaming through it.
So he cautiously fled the village, hoping to find someone in Qingzhou City to help.
That was when he encountered Kong Wu and the others.
After hearing his account, Monk Hui An raised his brows, the fury in his eyes almost solidifying into flames.
"These fiends! How dare they borrow the name of Buddhism to commit such wicked atrocities!"
Monk Hui An's sudden rise in volume startled Jiang Xiaowen, who then asked nervously, "Master, can you save everyone in the village?"
"Amitabha. Little benefactor, you need not worry."
Hui An glanced at Kong Wu and Nangong Yun and spoke with complete confidence.
Before long, they saw a small river, five zhang wide, winding across an endless plain.
Jiang Xiaowen pointed to a wooden bridge and said, "Cross that bridge, and Jiangyuan Village is not far ahead."
From a distance, a hazy cluster of house outlines could be seen flickering in and out of sight not far beyond the opposite bank.
Kong Wu cocked his head and listened.